Aeroplane



Feb. 26 1924;

' 1,485,269 J. c. JOHNSON AEROPLANE Filed Sept. 4. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1@535"? t/naan/ INVENTOR I ATTORNEY Feb. 26 1924. 1,485,269

J. c. JOHNSON- AEROPLANE Filed Sept. 4. 1923 a Sheets-Sheet 2 A-rronnvFeb. 26 1924.

J. C JOHNSON AEROPLANE Filed Sept. 4 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1/6/5155d'c//lzaoiv INVENTOR WITNESS:

ATTOR N EY Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

JESSE O. JOHNSON, OF DELRAY,

ABBOPLANE.

Application ma se temm- 4, 1923. Serial m5. eaasze.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn C. Jormson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Delray, in the county of Palm Beach and State of Florida,have invented new and useful 'Im rovements in Aeroplanes, of which thefol owing is a specification.

The present invention .relates to aircraft, and consists in thecombination and arrangement of elements hereinafter described andparticularly set forth in the appended claim.

The purpose of the invention is to provide an aeroplane with revolublelifting, traction, alightingand control helicopters which me be employedin connection with or indepen ently of the ordinary traction propellerand planes, and wherein speed and safety in ight is positively assured.

Another desirable feature is the provision of revoluble tractionhelicopters arran ed in pairs at the opposite sides of the era operatedin unison but in reverse directions by a suitable motor and capable ofswinging movement from horizontal to substantially vertical ositions ineither direction with respect to t e craft, and whereby the craft may beraised,'propelled in a straightahead direction, caused to assume desiredangles and to alight in an easyand safe manner, means, of course, beingemployed for sustaining the revolving helicopters in any of theirvariouspositions. v

It is also my purpose to provide propelling means for an aeroplane whichnot only materially increases the speed thereof but 'afiords a positivecontrol for the craft as well as a safety device therefor inasmuch asthe construction is movable to meet all wind conditions and is soarranged on the craft as to revent the side tilting thereof.

addition to the foregoing, the invention ossesses other features ofvalue which will clearly apparent from the followin des'nipticn whentaken in connection wit the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view approximately on the line 5+5of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a diagram, illustratin in plan the connection between themotor s' aft and the shafts of the revoluble planes, the; latter bemg insection.

The. invention as shown in the drawings is an incorporated in a flyingmachine of the biplane type, but is, of course, susceptible tosucrfziessful employment in other type of aircra Referring now to thedrawin in detail,

the fuselage 1 of the craft is of t e ordinary cigar-shape construction,the cock it there,

of being indicated by the numera 2. The fuselage or body 1 may have atits nose erfd the usual traction propeller 3 and has at its tail end theusual elevating and ide rudders, operated by wires leading to the lowerportion of the 0 pt.

6 of the usual type employed upon this class of devices, the propelhngshaft therefor being indicated by the numeral 7, and the said shaft maybe connected directly to the traction pro eller 3, when the latter isemployed, or may e operated by the usual motor when my improvement isemployed as an attachment to an ordinary aircraft.

The motor shaft. 7 has secured thereon to spaced worms 8 and 9respectively. The number of worms on the shaft is optional, as only theouter worm 9 may be employed, while, in addition to the worm 8 otherworms may be utilized. Also in lieu of worms other class of gears maybeemployed. Each worm or gear is in mesh with a gear .or worm wheel 10centrally secured on transversely arranged shaftsll. 'Each shaft haskeyed on its outer end a beveled gear 12.

The .worm or gear ortions of the motor shaft 7 are arranged in suitablehousings 13, and the said shaft 7 may be encased in a protective housingwhich may be bolted to the housings 13. Each housing 13 has lat eralcentrally disposed tubular extensions 14 whose ends are flanged andbolted to the sides of the body, and these extensions are in alignmentwith similar tubular members 15 which have their inner ends flanged andI dy and into the cock The craft may also be rovided with later- 75 l 180 In the body of the craft t ere is a motor naeaaae likewise bolted tothe body of the craft. In I the lateral tubular extensions of thehousings-.there'are sleeves 16, and it is in these sleeves that theshafts 11 find direct bear- 6 The sleeves also serve to prevent luricant in the housings seeping through the tubular ends thereof.

Each sleeve 16 has formed on its outer end a substantially invertedL-shaped casing 10 17. The casings have removable face plates,

and the said casings receive therein, the beveled gears 12. In thesecond branch of each casing 12 there is received a beveled gear 18 inmesh with the respective wears 15 12. The gears 18 are secured on theends of shafts 19 which are mounted for'rotation in tubular bearingsleeves 20 that are secured to the outer angle branches of the casing 17The tubes 20 are sustained in parallelism 20 by transverse braces 21. a

On each of the shafts 19, at the end thereof projecting through itsbearing 20 there is secured a rotary helicopter 22. In the showing ofthe drawings the helicopters are in the nature of two blade propellers,but, it is to be understood that the helicopters may embody any desirednumber. of blades and may be constructed in various manners,

so I am not to be restricted to any particularshape or construction inthis respect.

Preferably the transverse braces 21 are in the nature of pipes and havetheir ends screwed in couplin 23 on the tubular bearings 20, whereby t esaid braces may be adjusted. Also preferably the tubular braces areformed of sections which have their con fronting ends screwed into thesaid coup-' ling?l 23. I

. e couplings 23, ri ht an larl with re- 40, spect to the branchesthereo f in v vhich the brace members 21 are received, have theirconfronting faces formed with ears 24 that receive the bifurcated endsof longitudinal brace rods 25. Pivots 26secure the ears 24 45 in theends of the brace rods.

The outer fixed transverse brace 21 has centrally swung thereon adepending, preferably angularly disposed link 30. The link is pivoted,as at 31 between upstanding B0 ears 32 formed in a line with thelongitudinal walls provided by the elongated slot 33 in the top of thebody 1, forward of the cock pit 2. The link has the end which extendsinto the body of the craft .widened and .65 formed with an elongatedopening 34. This receives therethrough a pin 35 openin forme with orsecured to a lug or ear 36 on a traveler 37. The traveler is in thenature @f a sleeve having its bore threaded, and en- 00 gaging thethreads of the said bore there are threads formed on 'a rod 38.- The rodhas its outer end journaled in a bearing bracket 39 suitably secured inthe body 1, and has its opposite end passing through a bearing as sleeve40 into the cock pit 2. This end of erate the shafts, 19 which revolvethe helicopters 22. It is to be understood that the helicopters on theopposite sides of the craft revolve in a reverse direction and towardeach other. The revolving of the helicopters will lift the craft so thatthe same arises in a straight vertical direction. When the craft is tobe driven in a straight ahead direction the crank handle 42 is operatedto turn the rod or shaft 38 to swing the link 30 to bring thehelicopters to a forward vertical position. Because of the arrangementofthe helicopters on the opposite sides of the craft danger of sidetilting of the aeroplane will be positively prevented, and also becauseof this arran ement a far greater speed may be maintained by the craftthan by an ordinary construction of aeroplanes. When the craft isto'-alight the shaft or rod-38 is turned in an opposite direction sothat the helicopters 22 will be swung to the -rear of the craft and to asubstantially vertical position. The helicopters thus reversely act uponthe wind currents so that the craft will descend and safely alight atanydesired'point. By arranging the helicopters at varying angles varyingconditions of the wind may be successfully met so that the craft may bepropelled and steered regardless of weather conditions.

It is thought that the simplicity and advantages of my constructionwill, from the 1 foregoing description in connection with the drawings,be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which suchimprovements relate, but I desireit understood that I am not to, belimited to the precise construction, arrangement of parts, materialemployed and such like details, and therefore hold myself entitled tosuch changes and modifications therefrom as fall within the sec e ofwhat I claim. I 4 aving described 'the invention, I claim In anaeroplane, a motor driven shaft, transverse shafts extending through thesides of the aeroplane driven by said first mentioned shaft, housingsfor the shafts, bearingsleeves for the last mentionedshafts in thelateral branches of the housings, inverted L-shaped casings on the endsof the sleeves, gears therein secured to-the lateral shafts, uprightbearing sleeves secured on the casings,-shafts journaled thereinhavinggears meshing with the first mentioned gears, a helicopter on each ofthe last mentioned shafts, adjustable transverse brace means for thelast mentioned sleeves, pivotjournaled in bearings received through theally secured longitudinal brace means for traveler and havingia crankedend received said sleeves, an arm depending from the in the cock pit ofthe craft, all as and for the 10 outer transverse brace means, apivotally purpose set forth.

5 supported slotted link therefor, an interiorly In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

threaded traveler having a pivot assin through the slot of the link, athree ed r0 JESSE C. JOHNSON.

